Why Ajay Devgn's Tezz tezi se flopped. On Wahiyat Wednesday
India Today
Ajay Devgn's 2012 release Tezz was a box office disaster. On Wahiyat Wednesday, we tell you all things wrong with the film.
Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Priyadarshan - kaash naam ki kaafi hota! The trio was a part of a 2012 disaster titled Tezz, which was an exemplar of how perfect ingredients too can ruin a broth. Ajay Devgn is a Bollywood A-lister and serious roles come easily to him. Understood. But why Tezz? The film had a near-perfect star cast with a pinch of thrill and a dash of good songs - all punched for simmer by Priyadarshan. But Tezz went on to become a disaster in Ajay’s career. So much so, that jis Tezz-i se it hit the screens, usi Tezz-i se it dropped off too. How and why? Read all about it on Wahiyat Wednesday!
Tezz is set in the backdrop of the UK, where almost every Indian wears dark-coloured glasses and oftentimes talk in a fake Hindi accent. For instance, take a moment to remember those friends who start pronouncing ‘cool’ as ‘kwel’ a week in America or London. Before we start, let us tell you that Tezz is the loose adaption of 1975 Japanese film, The Bullet Train that went wrong. The movie started with Zayed Khan (yeah, he’s there too but it hardly makes a difference), telling Ajay Devgn (Aakash Rana) how much he was missed. But the face he makes while trying to act! Zayed tries too hard in the first scene that will make you want to scream ‘Bas karo!’ Par ab bol ke kya faeda?
Are you waiting for us to tell you about the plot? Let’s do it the other way round, just like the film. Aakash is an illegal immigrant married to a British citizen but is suddenly caught and ousted from the country. Zabardasti! Instead of applying for a VISA and fixing his misdeeds, Aakash feels that the muck he is in isn’t enough and requests the universe for more problems. And that is how vengeance comes to his mind. Wondering how? A bomb threat on a train! A plan is hatched and he knows all the steps to make his master plan a success but suddenly realises, ‘Arre, manpower toh bhool hi gaya!’ And that how Zayed (Aadil) and Sameera Reddy (Megha) get roped in. Never mind, they do a trashy job.
Now Aakash’s plan is to threaten police officials (don’t miss the guts) and retrieve money in exchange for information on how to diffuse a bomb on the train. Years and years of police and bomb squad training for nothing!
Yes, the only good thing about the film is Malayalam superstar Mohanlal apart from the mere presence of Ajay. What did we previously say about a dish going down the drain in spite of over-perfect ingredients? Yes, the same example applies here too. Mohanlal could have, and was, probably the only cherry on top after Ajay. The South star played a cop who saved passengers from the bombed-up train and had a gripping exit. But could someone offer him a better role, please?
Slowly and very slowly, people keep dying one after the other and Aakash is one of the last people left behind. Later, some forced fight sequences and negotiations happen. In fact, it is only towards the end of the film that he gets to know he has a child and gives him a bear hug while the kid looks awkward. But there isn’t much time left for emotions and he has to die in the end (whoops). And some other useless plots later, Aakash dies. He leaves a will-turned-letter for his wife and even before we can gather our thoughts as to hua kya, Priyadarshan’s name flashes on the screen, denoting the film’s end and our wastage of time.
Having said that, if you ever feel that you are wasting precious moments of your life, better watch Himmatwala than Tezz. That way you can at least have a laugh, unlike Tezz that leaves you feeling like you’re operating in a vacuum. As if life isn’t enough.
